‘People Of Pembroke Need Answers’ Over Chevron Refinery Explosion

Law firm Irwin Mitchell’s national head of workplace injury has called on authorities to work quickly to discover the cause behind the fatal explosion and fire at the Chevron Refinery in Pembroke.

Four contractors were killed in the incident at the oil refinery yesterday evening (June 2nd), with reports suggesting the blast started in a 730 cubic metre storage tank. Another worker is also in hospital with serious injuries.

Police have confirmed that they are working with the Health and Safety Executive to determine the cause of the incident.

Workplace injury specialists at Irwin Mitchell have acted for and continue to represent people hurt in serious industrial accidents, as well as the families of those who have died in such incidents.

The team notably helped 75 workers and residents who were injured in the 2001 explosion at the Killingholme refinery in their battle for justice. The largest chemical disaster since Flixborough in 1974, the incident occurred when over 170 tonnes of liquid petroleum gas caught fire.

Conoco-Phillips, which owned the plant, was fined £1m for breaching health and safety regulations in relation to the explosion, which was the largest chemical disaster since Flixborough in 1974.

Commenting on the Chevron Refinery incident, David Urpeth, national head of workplace injuries at Irwin Mitchell, said: “Major industrial accidents like this have a devastating impact on workers and their families, and everyone in Pembroke will undoubtedly be seeking answers as to how this terrible and tragic incident came to occur.

"It is absolutely vital that Chevron, HSE and other authorities work swiftly to determine what caused the explosion and subsequent fire and, more importantly, how it could have been prevented.

“They also need to provide reassurances over safety that the families of all of those employed at the site will undoubtedly now be seeking.

"The health and safety of workers must always be a fundamental priority for employers and ultimately it is vital that any conclusions from the investigation will hopefully prevent further workers at industrial sites from suffering in such a terrible manner."

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